Mérida trolleybus
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 In left-hand traffic on a separate special route
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| Route length: | 15.1 km | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The trolleybus Mérida - Spanish : Sistema Trolebús de Mérida - was a trolleybus system in Venezuela . It was run by the operating company Trolebús Mérida CA - Tromerca for short . Until September 2009 it operated under the name Trolmérida , this name was also used synonymously for the entire system. Trolleybus line 1 formed the backbone of local public transport in Mérida . She joined as a radial line to Alberto Carnevalli airport on the edge of downtown to the southeast, neighboring city of Ejido . Part of the line ran as an overland route through undeveloped areas.
history
Trial operation (2006)
The operating company was founded in 1999 and construction work for the Mérida trolleybus began in February 2000. After numerous construction delays, the opening took place on November 26, 2006, but initially it was only a trial operation. After trolleybuses operated in the capital Caracas from 1937 to 1945 , this was the country's second operation.
Initially, only the 6.5-kilometer section between the final stop at Terminal Ejido at Mérida Airport and the Alto Chama stop was served; the intermediate stations were passed through. The cars only ran on Sundays from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., the ride was free. This trial run was extended by one hour until 5:00 p.m. from January 2007 due to a positive response.
Official opening (2007)
The official opening with the opening of the intermediate stops and the simultaneous extension to Pie del Llano finally took place on June 18, 2007, from then on the route was 10.2 kilometers long and 15 stops were served. However, the trolleybus continued to run only during rush hour , i.e. in the morning from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and in the afternoon from 4:35 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The cars could still be used free of charge - as long as the line did not serve the city center, the operating company was not allowed to charge any fares.
Further expansion of the system was halted due to financial problems, and construction work was temporarily suspended in 2009. However, the operating hours were extended again on April 27, 2011: Monday to Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Saturdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. and on Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Extension (2012)
It was not until September 2012 that the second expansion followed by six stations to Mercado Periférico, with which the route reached its maximum length of 15.1 kilometers. The extension was initially only in operation on Mondays from September 3rd, and finally daily from September 22nd. Because there was no turning loop available at the provisional terminal , the trolleybuses turned there with their auxiliary drive . Fare was still not charged, but tickets were issued on October 24, 2012. The passengers should get used to the future operations.
In 2014, the operating times were as follows: Monday to Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. And on Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Hiring (2016)
At the end of December 2014, after a long break, construction work to extend the building into the city center was resumed and the operating hours - daily except Sundays - were extended to 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. With the originally planned final expansion to the diameter line to the Núcleo La Hechicera station north of the city center - there a block loop was planned - the entire route would have been 18.2 kilometers long, would have comprised 37 stations and would have been served by two lines.
In view of the advancing economic crisis in Venezuela and the associated problems with the energy supply, however, the electrical operation ended in June 2016. After two-axle diesel buses procured from the People's Republic of China - initially on a test basis - operated on the trolleybus route from 2014 , these finally took over the entire operation.
Infrastructure
Similar to a Bus Rapid Transit system, the trolleybus route in Mérida was completely independent of individual traffic. All stops were equipped with 65 centimeter high and covered bus platforms , so entry into the car was stepless. The two stations, Terminal Ejido and Alto Chama , designed by the Venezuelan architect Roberto Ameneiro , were particularly elaborate .
Because these are exclusively centrally arranged bus platforms, comparable to the central platforms in rail traffic, the trolleybuses ran contrary to the usual traffic regulations in left-hand traffic . In addition, the stops had access barriers , even though they never went into operation due to the free travel.
The depot was located near the terminus at Terminal Ejido and was not connected to the catenary network. It could only be achieved with the auxiliary drive. The Quito trolleybus in Ecuador , which opened in 1995, served as a model for the transport system in Mérida discussed here .
vehicles
A total of 45 three-door articulated vehicles with auxiliary drives were available for operation; they were delivered to Mérida between May and July 2003. The vehicles were created as a joint venture between different companies, this type was only found in Mérida. The chassis came from EvoBus Ibérica , the Spanish subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz-Bus . The bodies were manufactured by Hispano Carrocera , the electrical equipment was supplied by Bombardier . The Italian company Pininfarina was responsible for the interior and exterior design . The cars were specially adapted to the stops and had no steps.
Picture gallery
One of the 45 articulated cars
Trolleybuses parked in the depot
Alto Chama : central bus platform with access barrier
Special route on the overland route to Ejido
Web links
- Official Trolmérida website
- The Mérida trolleybus at www.trolleymotion.ch
- The trolleybuses of Mérida, Allen Morrison's private website
- Type description of the vehicles on www.evobus.es
Individual evidence
- ↑ Extension of the route opened , report on www.trolleymotion.ch from November 12, 2012 ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
